Pages

Keri Arthur, New York Times bestselling author of Fireborn,
presents the thrilling new Souls of Fire Novel featuring Emberly
Pearson, a phoenix that can transform into a human—and is haunted by the
ability to foresee death....

Crimson Death, the plague
like virus spawned from a failed government experiment to isolate the
enzymes that make vampires immortal, continues to spread. Emberly and
her partner, Jackson Miller, are desperately seeking the stolen research
for a cure before the virus becomes a pandemic.

But their
mission is jeopardized by another threat uncovered in Emberly’s
prophetic dreams. A creature of ash and shadow has been unleashed on a
murdering spree. Now Emberly must summon all her gifts and investigative
knowledge to put an end to this entity’s brutal rampage—even if it
means placing herself in harm’s way....

I received this eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, I was in no way compensated for this review.

Keri Arthur's Wicked Embers was as incredible as its predecessor! I have been a fan of Keri's since the early days of my paranormal reading adult life! (That's a mouthful! LOL!) Her newest series, Souls of Fire, is shaping up to be as incredible as her previous ones! Emberly is a phoenix, which is kind of rare to see as the main character these days, and her life is anything but simple.

Since the last mystery and go around, Emberly has found herself teaming up with Jackson in his PI business. Being as her last boss was murdered, a new job was necessary. Especially due to all the danger that came from it. And there's still danger as the evil vampire group is still after her since she gave them the notes to the regarding the vampire virus to them, on a virus infected laptop. This I feel like, will be an issue that carries out through the series or at least a few more books worth!Besides dealing with that, Emberly also has been having dreams regarding a monster like creature that can shift into multiple shapes. It's devouring the organs of dead bodies, but it slowly moves from dead ones to killing people and devouring their organs. While an issue in this particular story, it didn't feel overly large. Or its because this took me two and half days to read. Darn Twitter! But regardless, it did make for an interesting side story to the big one, which naturally involves the red cloaks.I guess what's confusing me a bit is all these vampires. I can't figure out which ones are pseudo good. As so far, I don't think we've met any good ones in this particular world. The red cloaks are definitely evil but then there seems to be more and more groups and I can't figure out which sides they're on. We get told in ways, I suppose, perhaps I was just a bit distracted. It's been a trying week so far!Once again, I enjoyed what little romance we had here. Emberly is still with Jackson, though I just can't totally get behind their relationship. It's hot for sure, but they both seem to know, that they will never be a true couple. And I guess that bothers me. Especially since there's never going to be anything with her and her lifemate, Rory. They have to be together due to circumstance. And then there's Sam, the one that got away. He's still a fixture in Emberly's life and while nothing ever happens between these two, I still hold out hope. Perhaps because Emberly does, in small ways. She knows it's over, but she dubs him as this lifetime's love. The one that got away. It will be interesting to see how things develop in Emberly's love life for this series as for the moment, things are definitely complicated!I really enjoyed this one! Though I enjoy pretty much all Keri's books! She weaves together the right amount of action, romance, and comedy together into a fitting story! The pacing is always delved out just right too. Hardly ever a dull moment and what with two mysteries on Emberly's plate, she always seems to be on the move! I'm curious to see how her next adventure will pan out!If you're an Urban Fantasy lover, then I highly recommend Keri Arthur! She was among my first authors I read and has since remained a favorite! And since this series of hers just started last year, you have plenty of time to catch up! Now I really need to read the last book of her Dark Angels series!Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc

"Suddenly Konstantin tensed up, looking around like a hunting dog that's found its prey. I was about to ask him what was wrong when said, 'We're not alone.'And then Tilda screamed."Kindle loc. 50%**This quote comes from the eARC therefore it and its location are not final.

Top Ten Tuesday
is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of
lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists
with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here
at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join.
All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on
your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so
that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a
blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun
way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

This week's topic is: Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2015

*in no particular order

**Also if you click the title you will be taken to my review placed on Goodreads.

1.THE RULES by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie--looove these authors! And naturally their latest book was an amazing and incredible one! I so hope there will be more to this possible series!

2.FORGED IN STONE by Alyssa Rose Ivy--I've loved pretty much every paranormal book this woman has written! Forged in Stone is no different! I adore James and can't wait for more!

3.THE VAMPIRE'S MAIL ORDER BRIDE by Kristen Painter--yet another new series that I am completely in love with! Nocturne Falls is fast becoming my fave Kristen Painter series! It's so cute and just fun!

4. SWERVE by Vicki Pettersson--this is Vicki's first thriller and it was amazing! I was taken by surprise by it too! At the time of this post, my review wasn't up, but actually went up on Monday. So I'm hoping the link updates itself! ;)

5. POWERLESS by Tera Lynn Childs & Tracy Deebs--I am a huge fan of Tracy and admit this was my first Tera book, but I loved it! It was sooo awesome and unique in a way. I cannot wait to see where this series goes!

6. NEARLY FOUND by Elle Cosimano--I actually read both of Elle's books this year and loved them both! This one had a bit of a creepier mystery feel to it, because it's not at all what you're expecting!

7. ROGUE by Julie Kagawa--seriously every time I finish one of Julie's books I am constantly wanting the next one! They are sooo good! So incredible and amazing that I don't want to leave this world behind!

8. SNOW LIKE ASHES by Sara Raasch--loved this one! A wonderful fantasy and I can't wait for the next one! Something I am constantly saying when it comes to every beloved read!

9. BOUND BY FLAMES by Jeaniene Frost--loved it! It's Jeaniene Frost! And it's VLAD! What's not to love! Best yet?! There's 1 MORE BOOK TO COME!!

10.A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES by Sarah J. Maas--one of my most anticipated reads this year has held a firm spot in my most favorite reads of this year! LOVED this one and cannot wait to see what this series holds!!

So I took myself to see Jurassic World, finally, the other day! And wow! I was in kindergarten around the time of the first movie. So I didn't watch it right away because you know, scary dinos eating people! SCARY! And the raptors! That kitchen scene still gives me the creeps!!What I loved about this one, besides Chris Pratt, was that there were many hat tips to the original Jurassic Park. Some things I read about prior to, but it made it more fun to look for them! Like seeing Ian Malcolm's book, seeing the original JP building where they had the raptors chasing the kids in the kitchen and the big scene at the end with T-Rex, and the banner that was up and fell at the end. Plus there was the a statue of John Hammond, the original park owner. And just lots of little things. And apparently the T-Rex in this one, is supposed to be the same one from the first movie. Or so I heard.I also enjoyed seeing B.D. Wong reprising his role as Henry Wu, just one of the scientists, but he's much more prominent in this movie than the first one. But you know what still befuddles me? What I asked myself constantly during the movie? Why the hell would you want to visit a park with dinosaurs!?! I mean, do they still teach children in school about how freaking scary these things were? I mean why? Seriously, if there was a park today, now, that boasted having dinosaurs--in a world where these movies and original book didn't exist--why would you want to go? It's freaking dangerous and scary! But yeah...apparently the masses want to see dinos!And the people here are just as bad as good ol' John in the playing God role. They're creating dinosaurs. And even making new breeds of dinos. Though this time, it's more like they have "complete" control over them. Which you can guess how that resulted. When their latest project breaks free it's up to the new team of Jurassic World--for that's the park's name now, Jurassic World is not to be mentioned...yet they still have the original building on the premises. Whatever.The story follows two brothers, Gray and Zach, as they visit their aunt at Jurassic World. Which is now a fully developed and functioning park. We're talking rides, stores, restaurants, hotels! People will SLEEP on this island with dinos running about! When the latest dino creation gets loose due to being overly intelligent, chaos ensues. Claire and Owen race about trying to find the boys since they were off visiting the park when CODE RED goes live with the dino running loose.And they realize just how dangerous and smart this new dinosaur is. Guess this will make them rethink the brilliant idea of having dinos in the park. Plus, I want to give Clarie props. She's running around the park, climbing through the jungle and basically RUNNING FOR HER LIFE, all while wearing high heels! You go girl!!While it may seem I didn't like the movie what with a few complaints. I really did enjoy it! It was awesome and incredible! Filled with lots of action and scary moments. There's romantic tension between Claire and Owen as they once had a fling. Though that really plays no critical role in the story. And I'm not too proud to admit that I flinched more than once during the film. I blame that on the surround sound! LOL! Like those creepy and intense moments where you know SOMETHING is about to happen. So yeah, there was flinching and the looking away! Mostly when the blood was about to spill! Jurassic World was a really enjoyable movie! There's whispers about there maybe, possibly, being a sequel. What with how things ended with certain characters. But then, it's like seriously?! More deaths happened and you're going to have another park with more dinos?! Seriously Hammond should have never let these people buy him out or however the acquiring of the park came into the hands of new owners! But those are things you grow to love about the movie because seriously the debates and conversations you can have with people!Jurassic World is definitely for fans of the original movies, but new fans can take enjoyment from it too. Though now I find myself wondering, what happened to the other island with the B complex? Or otherwise known as Jurassic Park III? That I don't think was really touched on. I guess that can be left for a sequel to Jurassic World! Time will tell!Overall Rating 5/5 stars

In the electrifying tradition of Dean Koontz and Gillian Flynn comes the first riveting psychological thriller from the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author!

It’s high summer in the
Mojave Desert, and Kristine Rush and her fiancé, Daniel, are en route
from Las Vegas to Lake Arrowhead, California, for the July Fourth
holiday weekend. But when Daniel is abducted from a desolate rest stop,
Kristine is forced to choose: return home unharmed, but never to see her
fiancé again, or plunge forward into the searing desert to find
him…where a killer lies in wait.

One road. One woman. One killer.

Sprinting against the clock, and uncertain if danger lies ahead or behind, Kristine must blaze an epic path through the gaudy and flash of roadside casinos, abandoned highway stops, and a landscape rife with horrors never before imagined. Desperate to save her doomed husband-to-be, Kristine must summon long forgotten resources if she's to go head-to-head against this unpredictable killer. And she'd better hurry. Because she only has twenty-four hours...to make one hell of a trip.

I received this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, I was in no way compensated for this review.I was intrigued when I heard Vicki Pettersson was going to write a new stanadlone thriller! It was far from her usual books I've read, but with beloved authors, I'm always willing to try something new if I think I might like it. And I do tend to like thrillers. And oh boy, Swerve was one amazing thriller!Kristine has a pretty good life going for her. She's had a rough past, and we see bits of that in her flashbacks. At first, you can't quite grasp why we're seeing all this. But all good things come to those who wait. Or so I'm told! We learn bits of her childhood and past and what basically caused her to be on her current life path. And it's there that she learned a few things that will help her in her upcoming nightmare of a journey!Kristine and her fiance, Daniel are off on a Fourth of July trip to see his mother for a big Independence Day celebration. But before the trip even starts, terror strikes at an abandoned rest stop--it was really closed for construction--so Kristine could change clothes. She's nearly attacked and when she comes to, Daniel is gone. All that's left is the car with keys, and his cell phone. She has to play a game with his kidnapper or else Daniel dies.Though we never see this mysterious kidnapper, he apparently has been watching Kristine for nearly a year now. Watching her, studying her, and he finds her lacking. So she must prove her worth if she ever wants to get Daniel back. She will have to go beyond her comfort zone again and again. This kidnapper is one scary dude, as we will see throughout that he holds no value over human life.And that's just the first half! I was completely blown away with this book. It was creepy in that real world sense with scary villains who are 100% human, though obviously not humane. I think that's in part why I enjoy thrillers, because it's nearly like a "monster" book, but the monsters are human and that's all the scarier in my opinion!Though you would think the second half wouldn't amount to much, it was actually even creepier than the first part. Kristine comes face to face with the kidnapper and pretty much for the entire last half, we are left wondering if she will survive this murderer or not! My heart was racing, for it seemed like every time Kristine took a step forward, she's thrown back twenty paces. It was unreal! It was totally believable though and scary to boot!The ending itself is reminiscent of other creepy thriller movies I've seen. And that totally gave me chills too! Because...CHILLS!!! EEP! I can't even really discuss this one much because of how events turned so early on. And it was quite the shocker. I don't know if I should've guessed the events or not, but I always enjoyed being taken by surprise! The pacing to this one was excellent for the first half, since Kristine has that time limit and the kidnapper is doing everything possible to make her fail it seems. Then around the halfway point, the pacing slows a bit. But the scenes are rife with tension! Oh my goodness, I didn't care that things weren't moving along as fast anymore, but yet I still couldn't read fast enough to see how things turned out! It was without a doubt a glorious and suspenseful read!If you're looking for the perfect thriller to read this summer, Swerve needs to be at the top of the list because it's a read you won't ever forget!Overall Rating 4.5/5 starsSwerve releases July 7, 2015

Stacking The Shelves is all about the
books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our
excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book
in the process!This week was pretty good. Rather tame and I like that just fine! Got a little bombarded with review books. Every time I almost get caught up 2 or 3 more come along. I can't complain, though I do miss reading some of my other TBR books. Might take a break from requesting books once I'm caught up unless there's that MUST HAVE NOW book! Okay, moving on!Here's what I bought:

Allegiant by Veronica Roth--UK Copy!I was sooo excited when I saw this at my HPB! I've been hounding the store looking for UK copies of this series and when I saw this one, I made a mad dash/hop (since it was on a higher shelf) and snatched it! No one was in the YA section with me, but with the way I acted, you'd thought I was afraid someone "thought" they might take it instead! Ha! Yeah...I might have gotten tossed out had that happened because it would've resulted in a brawl! ;)

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine (Early Copy)--as you might already know, I sadly had to DNF this one. I just couldn't get into it and I was nearly 150 pages in. Normally I'd quite around 100 of there's no connection going, but I went a little further since I love the author. While this wasn't my kind of read, I still recommend reading it if you're at all interested in it! I will definitely be checking out Rachel's other upcoming releases in the time to come!

Welcome to
Nocturne Falls, the town where Halloween is celebrated 365 days a year.
The tourists think it's all a show: the vampires, the werewolves, the
witches, the occasional gargoyle flying through the sky. But the
supernaturals populating the town know better. Living in Nocturne Falls
means being yourself. Fangs and all.

Getting arrested
wasn’t on werewolf Ivy Kincaid’s agenda when she arrived in Nocturne
Falls, but her life rarely goes according to plan. The upside of
spending the night in the local lock-up is finding a hotel room is no
longer a worry...but the downside is the man she’s come to marry will
get his first impression of her behind bars. Not exactly the way Ivy was
hoping to meet her pack's sworn enemy...aka her fiancé.

Sheriff
(and werewolf) Hank Merrow is the alpha's heir. Everything he's ever
done, from becoming an Army Ranger to serving in law enforcement, has
been in preparation for the day he’ll take over. Getting married to
cement a shaky truce is no different. Hank will do his duty, even if it
means shackling himself to a woman he has no intention of liking, let
alone loving.

But Ivy is nothing like Hank expected. As feisty
as she is beautiful, she's as determined as he is to make a go of
marriage for the sake of peace between their packs. The trouble is, Ivy
has secrets that could destroy everything Hank holds dear...including
his newfound love for her.

I received this early copy from the author in exchange for an honest review, I was in no way compensated for this review.

I love Nocturne Falls! Seriously LOVE! I want to live there! I want to date a werewolf or vampire or shifter or gargoyle! I'm not picky! LOL! Kristen Painter returns to the quaint little town where it's Halloween all year round. But the tourists just think it's a gimmick. Not the boldly given truth! The Werewolf Meets His Match follows the Sheriff Hank Merrow and his soon to be bride, Ivy Kincaid. But there's more than meets the eye to their upcoming nuptials.Ivy and Hank are being forced into an arranged marriage. Both are abiding to it out of a sense of duty, but for Ivy it's more than just that. Though they start off on a rough patch when Hank realizes his finacee was arrested the night before for getting involved in a bar fight. The two really end up hitting it off. They have an immediate attraction to one another. Is it because they're both wolves? The upcoming full moon which also is their wedding day? Tough to say. But there's definitely chemistry between them!While things seem like they're going smoothly, Ivy is harboring a secret. One she is protecting as fiercely as she can for fear of angering her father and disrupting the upcoming wedding. It's one that could make Hank send her away for good. And he'd be in his right, unless they were already married, but even then Ivy isn't sure she'd want to stay. And it's not because Hank is a bad guy. Quite the opposite in fact. As I said, there's definitely chemistry between Hank and Ivy and I got all the feels from watching these two interact. And even later on, my heart went pitter patter even more based on Hank's actions. Ivy definitely picked a winner here!I am really loving this series so far! Only 2 books at the moment, but it's incredible! They are remarkable! I love how real these characters are! And the more residents of Nocturne Falls we meet, the more I want to see books with them in it! I still want to see our gargoyle Nick get a book. And now I'd like to see Hank's sister Bridget and a certain werewolf get a book! I wouldn't say no to Sebastian, Hugh's brother getting one either! And I'm sure by the next book there'll be another slew of characters I want to see more of! Nocturne Falls is a highly addicting series! If you're a paranormal fan of any kind, then I highly recommend this series! They're fun, fast reads, but they are incredibly delightful! I'm all already itching for the next book and I don't even know the title yet!!Overall Rating 5/5 stars

1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts and any one else you want to follow on the list

2. Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!
8. If your new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

This week's question is: Is there a book that you were required to read in school that you actually loved? - Suggested by Natalie Hearts Books

MY ANSWER: Why yes, yes there was! I've talked about this before. There has literally been only 1 book that I was forced to read that I ended up loving! And that of course was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.

It's funny too, because there's nothing at all paranormal about it. I guess you could call it a loose thriller, except it's the Count who is going about getting his revenge on people! I enjoyed his way of getting revenge, because he did not kill a single man who wronged him, but he ruined them all! *insert maniacal laughter!

In an exhilarating new series, New York Times
bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous
world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of
time.…

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great
Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of
knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the
content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal
ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell
believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge
comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the
thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but
his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter
the Library’s service.

When he inadvertently commits heresy by
creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that
those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more
valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will
burn.…

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, I was in no way compensated for this review.

I've been a huge fan of Rachel Caine since the early days! Weather Wardens was my favorite series by her, I have yet to pick up Morganville Vampires, but I was excited about her newest series, The Great Library and that it was also YA gave me hope! But for some reason, despite the glowing early reviews I read of Ink and Bone, I could not get into this book! I had to DNF it around page 142 just because I realized I passed the 100 page mark and I still wasn't sure what was going on, what Jess was really wanting to achieve for himself...and just everything else.

This book is set in the future, yet once again, we find ourselves in a society that seems more reminiscent of the past. At the same time though, we see Jess and the characters using tablets. So it was sort of a weird combination of future and past relics.In this society, books, real books, are banned. The Great Library forbids them. You can still read books, but it's on these tablets and apparently the Library peeps can show you want they want to show you. They may omit things or change things, this was something I never really grasped. I mean, I understand the process, but I don't know if it was ever really executed in showing us the reader that. Then again, maybe I hadn't worked up to it yet.Jess is different from his family. His family are book smugglers and while that sounds heroic and all, it's more criminal than anything else. They smuggle books and basically sell them to the highest bidder. Jess is a booklover though. He enjoys reading them when he can steal a few moments of time. And when his father basically forces him to apply for a job in the Library, he's reluctant. But in reality, he has no choice. He either takes this job and works as a spy for his family, or he's out on his own, completely.Though instead of getting a job right off the bat, he and several other teens are competing for a spot on a team of six. When I stopped, we were down to nine candidates. It was while Jess was at this school, I was getting a very Harry Potter vibe. Jess is making a few friends, making an enemy, and then there's studying, lots of studying. It was when we were learning more about a particular character, I totally lost sight of things. An identity was revealed and instead of utter shock, I was filled with utter confusion.I'm devastated. Rachel Caine has been a favorite author of mine for years and I wanted to love this series. I felt certain I would, when it's one of your favorite authors, you feel that confident. Yet here...I just couldn't do it. I found myself reading the book out of a sense of obligation. I was ready to give in much earlier than I initially stopped, but I told myself to give a few more pages, a few more chapters. And now that I did that and still cannot feel a connection or a compulsion to read this book, I feel I must stop. I'm not happy about. Not happy at all, but since my review pile is still pretty tall and there's around 200 other TBR books to read, I feel I must stop. Even though I said I would love to read this for review, I just couldn't get invested into the story and I feel if that can't happen by the 100 page mark, it's likely not going to happen at all.Remember, this is just my opinion. I am not done reading Rachel's books! I will still likely pick up her next new read when it releases. But sadly, this series was just not for me. But if you're at all intrigued by this story's premise, then read it! Never doubt that little voice in your head! Mine told me to stop, so I did. But if yours says "well, maybe..." then read it! I hope you will find more enjoyment and excitement in this story than I could!

James
is a Guardian. He is tasked with protecting the most important person
in his world. For eight years he has done his job without complaint, but
he has grown tired of living under the shadow of a father who is
responsible for the most unimaginable violence and destruction his world
has ever known.

Ainsley is at a loss for what to do with her
life. She hates her two dead end jobs and the family who betrayed her.
She has resigned herself to living one day at a time, but she longs for
an escape from her lonely life.

When Ainsley finds James in her
bed, their two lives and worlds collide. They may have both found
exactly what they need, but the darkness James has been running from his
whole life has just caught up.

I received this ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review, I was in no way compensated for this review.

Alyssa Rose Ivy has become one of my favorite authors in the most recent years! I adored her Crescent Chronicles and pretty much since then have been a fan of the subsequent spinoffs! Forged in Stone is a spinoff of one of her earlier series, it was actually a YA series, the After Glow trilogy, which I binge read last week and really enjoyed! I loved James character in those! He was so funny, but I never got the sense if he was meant to be a contender for Charlotte's heart, and now that that series has ended, we have a brand new series here where James is the hero! And this series is definitely New Adult for sure!

First off, since I mention that this is a spinoff, I'll say you don't have to read the fist trilogy in order to understand what's going on here. It helps, but in reality it's not necessary. But you know me, I will totally recommending reading the first trilogy if even just to get to know James more! It's been eight years since the events of that trilogy and life for James has been mundane. Nothing exciting happening, nothing dreadful. Though there are times people still treat him with caution, like they expect him to be more like his father, who played the evil villain in the fist series. But James is nothing like his father. He hates him just as much as the rest of the people of Energo, if not more.

He finds himself in Charleston having too many drinks, so instead of going back home to Energo, he stops by Charlotte's old house to get some sleep. What he doesn't know is that Ainsley has been housesitting at the place and their first meeting didn't go smoothly! It was quite comical in a sense, because James being James, he sees no reason why he shouldn't be there.

There's an instant connection between James and Ainsley that I couldn't help but get behind! What's even more wonderful is that while Ainsley does feel said connection too, she tries to fight it. Because really, what normal girl falls head over heels for a guy she just met. One who broke into her temporary home? It's a bit complicated to rehash, but needless to say, I loved their connection! Their antics, because there's a good deal of bantering and flirting going on. I tend to like that a lot! It at least builds up to what we expect to see as an insta-romance.

However, all is not well in Charleston. Someone has broken into a room at the house and left behind a note that leads James to believe that Ainsley's life is in danger. And since he's falling hard and fast for this girl, there's no way he's leaving her unprotected. Add to the fact that there could possibly be a threat against Charlotte's life as well. So James immediately takes Ainsley to Energo for her protection. And once again, I love seeing Ainsley struggle to trust James in this. Bringing her to a completely different world. She struggles to accept what's in front of her. And I love that hesitation. Because it feels like a legitimate reaction.

There's a very real threat going on in Energo, but it's almost too terrifying to believe! We don't get a lot of details in this area, but that doesn't upset me at all! We still have at least one more book in this series/duology or what have you. And I am very excited about that!

Told through both James and Ainsley's points of view, we get to see how they both feel towards one another and the situation they find themselves in! James definitely had me smiling pretty much through the entire read. If I wasn't laughing at his antics, I was grinning like a fool because he was sweeping me off my feet through Ainsley! There's definitely more to James than we saw in the After Glow trilogy. He's a sweetheart and I pretty much just found my newest book boyfriend!

If you haven't read Alyssa's books yet, what are you waiting for? There are sooo many wonderful and delightful paranormal titles to choose from! While most of her series connect together in some ways, you can really read whichever one appeals to you. You might be presented with spoilers to the other series in little ways, but the only way to avoid that, naturally, is to start at the very beginning and enjoy from the first page! Though Forged in Stone is a spinoff from the After Glow trilogy, and doesn't really relate to the Crescent Chronicles and subsequent series, I would recommend reading pretty much all Alyssa's paranormal titles because they have all been incredible amazing reads!